What are PBCs?

A prescribed body corporate for the purposes of native title is a corporation required to be nominated by a group of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people to hold and manage (as trustee) or manage (as agent) their native title rights and interests when that group has succeeded in having their native title recognised in a Federal Court determination.

These corporations are known as Prescribed Bodies Corporate (PBCs) as they have prescribed characteristics under the Native Title Act 1993, including that they are incorporated under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 ("CATSI Act"). Once registered by the National Native Title Tribunal (NNTT) as required by the Native Title Act 1993, they are technically known as registered native title bodies corporate (RNTBCs). It is at this point that their statutory obligations under the Native Title Act 1993 and the Native Title (Prescribed Bodies Corporate) Regulations 1999 are triggered. PBCs denote native title corporations which are RNTBCs, or the operational corporations attached to RNTBCs. These do not include PBCs incorporated under state legislation. Click here for a list of​ PBCs that have hosted Aurora interns to date.

The most rewarding aspects of the placement was the opportunity to practice the values that have been upheld throughout my Behavioural Science degree, such as cross-cultural communication, social justice and equity.